This invention relates to a mounting arrangement for an outboard drive and more particularly to an improved mounting arrangement for mounting an outboard drive for movement between a tilted down position through a plurality of trim adjusted positions to a tilted up out of the water position.
It is well known to mount marine outboard drives such as the outboard drive portion of an inboard-outboard drive or an outboard motor per se for movement relative to the transom of the associated watercraft between a plurality of trim adjusted positions so that the propeller will assume the appropriate driving position relative to the body of water in which it is operating and at the appropriate angle relative to the transom of the associated watercraft. It is further proposed to mount such outboard drive units for movement so that the propeller can be tilted up completely out of the water. The more conventional type of tilting arrangement mounts the outboard drive for pivotal movement about a single, horizontally disposed axis. Although such arrangements have the advantages of simplicity, when used in conjunction with outboard motors they tend to have the power head of the outboard motor encroach into the watercraft when the motor is tilted up. In addition, such single pivot axis supports do not always permit the propeller to be disposed at the optimum driving angle. It has, therefore, been proposed to provide a double linkage system for supporting the outboard drive for its movement and such an arrangement is shown in the copending application entitled "Tilting Device For Outboard Engine", Ser. No. 672,410, filed Nov. 16, 1984 in the name of Ryoji Nakahama et al and assigned to the assignee of this application. This invention relates to an improvement in the type of support shown generally in that application.
Although the use of such a twin linkage system in which the links are disposed in a non-parallel relationship permits attainment of the objects as disclosed in that application, it is believed that still further improvements in the mechanism and its operating system are possible.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a mounting arrangement for an outboard drive that insures the proper positioning of the drive under all running conditions.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved linkage system for suspending outboard drives.
It is another object of this invention to provide a linkage system for suspending a marine outboard drive that will permit good position adjustment, maximum tilting up of the outboard drive and a minimum encroachment of the outboard drive within the area of the associated watercraft.